Why Were There So Many Interperatations of General Haig In WW1

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Introduction

Why Are There Different Interpretations Of General Haig? There are many interpretations of Haig but the two most common are that he was either a "hero of the war" or "a butcher of men". In this essay I will explore the reasons that led to this. Many people saw him as a great war hero. This is because he was seen to have ensured victory. People also praised him for being the first to use tanks effectively. He had friends in high places as his wife was lady in waiting to the Queen. These friends were keen to portray him in a good light because they wanted to keep morale up. ...read more.

Middle

60,000 soldiers were killed in the battle of the Somme and all the army gained was a few kilometres. James Lovegrove said "He (referring to Haig) had no respect for human life". The reasons for the many different interpretations of Haig was because of the different men in positions of power and influence in the two time periods- during and after the war. During the war the King supported Haig and Lloyd George, the Prime Minister, was too afraid to speak up against him for fear of damaging morale and undermining the war effort. After the war was over though, Lloyd George felt free to speak and openly criticised Haig. ...read more.

Conclusion

The reasons for Lloyd George hating Haig so much was because Haig didn't keep a major promise. Haig had promised the Prime Minister that he would "not press the attack if it became clear that he could not attain his objectives." Lloyd George was also critical about the lack of Haig's experience fighting on the battle field. Because of censorship during the war no bad press was released. However, afterwards critical comment on Haig's prowess as a general grew worse and worse until they were as bad as Lloyd George's views of the general. I agree with Lloyd George's view because, although Haig won the war he sacrificed the lives of too many soldiers and a good general would have considered better tactics to avoid this. ...read more.

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